What should we look for? (Techno numptyquestion)

I don't know much about smartphones, but does the broken mobile phone have a Sim card in it? Small card about half an inch across, with shiny contacts on it. If so, I think that holds his number. If necessary, break phone open to look inside!
Carphone Warehouse or other similar place might be able to swap it into the new one.

You may feel it too expensive, but I got a Fairphone from the Phone Co-op. They also do other phones (cheaper) and will talk you through your choice.

We 'tax ourselves' by buying ethically when we can - that is our choice. The other reason for choosing the Fairphone is that every bit of it is replaceable, so it should last for a long, long time!

Having bought it outright, we then use Phone Co-ops Pay As You Go - they also do a very basic 'bundle' which I buy when we go away. We have no mobile signal at home, so use the phone very little, but it is very useful when we are away from home.

Phone Co-op also do monthly payments if you want to pay less upfront -they are more flexible and less 'pushy' than other providers I find.

And yes, I kept my number - it did take a week or so to 'port' the number across, during which time we had a 'temporary number' on the phone. You have to ask your current provider for a PAC number, but Phone Co-op talked me through it.

As Elegran says, if the phone's SIM card is intact it should be transferrable to a newer model and all the info on it will still be accessable - Carphone Warehouse or Vodaphone shops are very helpful (because they're hoping to sell you a new phone, obviously! )

Yes, you just need to get a PAC number from the current provider and give it to the new provider.

The new provider will tell you how to go about this - no need to break open old phone!

(I knew it should have been 'accessible'!)

I have a payg smart phone and kept my number. We took it to the 02 phone shop and they transferred all the info and photos and watever from my old ( fadhioned) phone to the new one. No problems at all.

You don't have to 'break open' the old phone to access the SIM card. Just open the back!

Yes he can.
Go to phone shop and tell them what you want or just ring up the provider you are already with.

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

Yes, he does have the SIM. The phone still just about works, (I phone him in the evening) it is now held together with tape .

So, can he just buy one online, pop the SIM in and away he goes, or does it mean a visit to a shop?

A new SIM card won't necessarily fit a new phone, as I know when moving from an old Iphone to Sony Experia (SIM different shape).

I didn't visit any shop just had to await delivery of new SIM card, have a temporary number for a few days, then fit new SIM into new phone.

This was about a year ago - technology could have moved on since then then!

My SIM card from my ancient Nokia did fit my brand new all-singing-all-dancing new Smart phone, but I hated the damned thing so swapped the SIM back and I have a rather expensive new phone in the back of a cupboard somewhere...

What if he is staying with the same provider, he wouldn't need a PAC number then, would he............?

I know Sims come in 2 sizes, and you can get an adapter thingy if its a small SIM, but needs to be the bigger type.

Phoenix he should definitely do a "face to face" - go into a shop and talk to a "bright young person". My phone is PAYG on Virgin, cheap (about £15 a month), I have a Samsung.

BTW, what river? (See OP)

Grannyknot , Amazon, but don't tell anyone, because some GN members don't approve, so, just keep it strictly entre nous.

Doh! My brain took me downstream to names of mobile phone companies and I couldn't come up with a river.

Grannyknot I suppose it could have been Nokia!

The phone company is named after the town and river in Finland, so you were sort of on the right stream of thought

My husband has a sim free Blu phone, bought from Amazon. It is a budget phone and works on the Windows operating system, so if you have a Windows computer, then it will look familiar to you from the start. I think it takes a micro sim (the medium sized one - nano is the smallest) and he has been very happy with it. It does everything that my much more expensive Samsung does! If you are going to use data (ie access the internet for emails etc when out and about), then I would suggest you go into the shop and talk about which package would be best. (probably around £10 per month) My husband is just on straight payg and so I have switched off the data on the phone to prevent any unexpected large bills (!) and we just have it connected to wifi when at home. If you are away, then you could use a hotel's wifi. Just be aware that you can rack up quite large bills if you use data on a payg phone with no data package when you are away from home and using the mobile network rather than wifi. There should be no problem keeping his number, even if you decide to change provider.

Thanks again, although I'm still a bit

Surely if you are on PAYG, you don't get bills, large or otherwise!

Bigger Tesco stores have a phone shop within. As a complete techno idiot I have always found them very helpful.

Thanks hentha but I'm a bit anti Tesco after my Hudl2 experience.

jillyco many thanks for your recommendation, we've just had a look at the Blu sim free on you know where, and it seems just the job, so it's been ordered!

Sorry phoenix - no you wouldn't get a big bill on payg; you would just be topping up a lot!